


Trust Fall

by griimdarks



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, I really wanted fluff so i tried to make my own :'), ok listen i TRIED to fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-25
Updated: 2016-05-25
Packaged: 2018-06-10 14:28:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6960745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/griimdarks/pseuds/griimdarks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A small collection of Perc'ahlia drabbles. Spoilers for ep 44</p>
            </blockquote>





	Trust Fall

Some nights, Vex’ahlia couldn’t sleep.

It always happened in the relative safety of her room. She’d toss and turn, kick off the sheets, pull them up again, sigh a couple of times, before abandoning the idea entirely. On nights like these she would take a walk through Greyskull keep, checking on Trinket down in his room, wandering back up to the second floor and knocking on her brother’s door.

Vax would be up at the slightest noise and he somehow knew it was her. She’d lie down next to him and he’d curl up around her and for a while they were six again, in the safety of their mother’s home, far from Syngorn and monsters and dragons and death.

But Vax wasn’t there today. His room was empty, sheets scrunched in a restlessness that echoed hers. Vax had probably fucked off to God knows where and Vex shut the door, barely hiding her irritation.

There was no one else awake at this hour and Vex made her way downstairs to Trinket again - and detoured at the last moment. She wasn’t sure why, but a mix of sleepiness and instinct told her to go downstairs, and that she did. Their basement was cold and empty, light leaking through the steel door of Percy’s workshop. Vex knocked at his door, and Percy opened it moments later.

“Vex?” Percy sounded tired but very much alert. “You’re up late.”

His workshop was toasty, courtesy of the roaring forge in the corner and Vex shivered. “Actually, I’m - I’m feeling a bit cold, may I come in?”

He blinked. “Sure thing,” he stood aside and let her in.

Entering Percy’s workshop felt like entering his bedroom - it was a private space, one that Vex did not feel privy too. “Can’t sleep,” she added, feeling like she needed an excuse.

Percy pulled his jacket off a chair and motioned to it. “Me too,” he shrugged.

“Don’t worry about me, though, just keep going,” Vex sat down, and he draped the jacket over her with a wink. 

The slam of the hammer against metal echoed through the workshop, a rhythmic thud that she knew would give her a headache after a while. Percy seemed calmest in his workshop, soot smeared across his hands and wrists and he even had a little smudge on his cheek.

He’d left Bad News on the table, and after a moment's hesitation she reached for it. The hammering did not slow but she caught him staring for a moment, before turning back and concentrating on his work.

Vex pulled the gun onto her lap, the weight of Percy’s trust resting on her legs.

It was a hefty weapon, one that required both hands to lift. She wondered how he made it look so effortless; Vax and herself had inherited their father’s slender physique, but Percy was slimmer still, and the gun was already starting to tire her. She shifted it as best she could and heard something click.

Percy was at her side in seconds. “It's probably the safety,” he said casually, kneeling beside her. His hands brushed hers as he tilted the gun and flicked a lever she hadn't noticed. 

“I’ll try not to blow a hole in the wall,” she said jokingly.

“The wall can take it, it's you I'm more worried about.” It was a good thing Percy’s eyes were on the gun because Vex felt her cheeks grow very warm at that. Percy looked up for a brief moment before averting his gaze, and Vex could have sworn his cheeks were turning pink, too.

“I think I’ll put it back,” Vex said, after a moment. Percy smiled and walked back to his workbench.

Percy went back to hammering. Vex's eyes began to flutter shut, despite the noise.

“You should go to sleep,” Percy said gently, after a while.

Vex stretched, yawning. “Still can't sleep.”

Percy rolled his eyes before catching her yawn. “Me too.”

* * *

“I mean, if you  _ want _ to learn how to shoot it,” Percy still let her hold Bad News, despite his reticence.

The night air was chilly but the warmth of his workshop clung to her skin. In hindsight she would be better equipped to practice firing a gun in her usual armour, but Percy slipped his coat over her shoulders and it added an extra layer over her nightdress.

They stood in a courtyard behind the keep, Shane waving at them from the wall. The moon was bright in the cloudless sky, illuminating the targets mounted on the other side of the yard. 

“Hold it like this,” Percy murmured. He moved behind her, holding her arms up. Vex couldn't help but notice that it was the closest they’d ever stood together. Her heart had sped up the moment he brushed against her back and she hoped he couldn't feel it beating in her chest.

Vex squared her shoulders and kept her feet planted firmly on the ground. Percy put his chin on her shoulder, looking down the sight. “Like that, yup, that's good.” He moved away, his hand lingering on her elbow for a heartbeat longer.

“And I just pull the trigger?”

“That's all there is to it. Just be careful with the recoil.”

Vex nodded, took aim, and pulled the trigger.

She'd seen firsthand what Bad News could do - limbs ripped from torsos, heads blown clean off, accompanied with the sound of a bomb going off. The force of that single shot sent her stumbling backwards while the shot itself went wide.

Percy caught her almost immediately, one arm around her waist, the other helping her lift the gun. Vex slumped against his chest, eyes wide.

“That was….an experience,” she managed.

“It certainly was,” she couldn't see his face but she knew he was smiling.

* * *

“You’ve really never used a bow before?” There was an incredulous note to Vex’s voice, accompanied with an equally incredulous look.

Percy gave her a sheepish shrug. “I’m not exactly an outdoor person-” Vex didn’t even give him a chance to finish, but shoved a bow into his hands.

It was a quiet evening, and Vex thought she would spend it relaxing against Trinket, until Percy dropped that bombshell.

“I’m a gunslinger, not an archer,” Percy reminded her, turning the bow over in his hands. “Is this your-”

“Longbow of the Sky Sentinel? Yes,”

“Vex’ahlia-”

“You let me use your ace, so I’m letting you use mine.” Vex pulled Percy up and started dragging him outside.

“Do I even get-”

“No.”

“You didn’t even know what I was going to say!”   


“I know you were about to complain,” Vex stuck her tongue out at him.

Despite himself, Percy cracked a smile. “How charming.”

The sun was only just dipping below the horizon, the skies alight with flames. Vex led Percy to one of the target practices, beaming. 

“You know how to use one, right?” She said suddenly.

Percy rolled his eyes. “No, I’ve ever seen one in my life.”

She gave him a little shove and Percy grinned at her.

It always amazed Vex how different Percy looked when he smiled. Years disappeared off his face and into the crinkles by his eyes, and she counted two dimples as he ducked his head and smiled. She’d caught a glance of the the family portrait Cassandra had saved, and she’d seen that smile echoed in the slender figure of his mother. Vex had looked away, wondering if she’d inherited something of her own mother the way Percy had.

Percy quietly cleared his throat and Vex blinked, realising she’d been staring. 

“So,” he began, notching an arrow. “I hold it like…. this?” He drew the bowstring back to his ear.

Vex stood behind him, held his right arm up. “Exactly like that,” she said.

The first shot he fired hit the wall, the second clipped the target, and the third was a straight bullseye.

Vex raised an eyebrow, impressed. “Percival, you are one lucky man. I couldn’t hit a bullseye for months!”

Percy gave her a smile that hid a white lie. “Beginner’s luck,” he said slyly.

* * *

And then Vex’ahlia died.

She didn’t notice the changes at first, but they were beyond obvious in a day or so. Percy didn’t - or maybe couldn’t - look her in the eyes. Once or twice she tried to corner him but he’d make some excuse and disappear.

It was a few nights after she’d taken Gern’s broom, and she managed to corner him again.

“Meet me on the roof in five minutes,” she said, before he could start. “And bring a jacket.” And Vex walked away, heart thudding in her chest.

Percy would be there, she knew he felt too guilty to say no to her.

They always seemed to meet at sunset, Vex mused. It was an overcast day in Whitestone but the sun has managed to break through, painting the clouds a vivid pink. Percy wandered onto the roof and did a double take when he realised she was sitting on the broom.

Vex flew around him before stopping it a foot off the ground.

“You called?” Percy said, after a moment.

“Percy,” Vex said. “Do you trust me?”

“Not when you say it like that.”

Vex ignored that. “Come. Let's go for a ride.”

She watched the confusion turn to apprehension on his face. “Wait, on  _ that _ ?”

“Yes, 'on  _ that _ ’,” she patted the handle - or at least, tried to. She lifted one hand up, the broom lurched, and she grabbed at Percy to steady herself.

Percy had a look on his face that said he’d rather wrestle a bear.

“It’ll be  _ fun _ ,” Vex winked. 

“You know what else is fun?  _ Not _ plummeting to our deaths,” 

“I can steer it really well!”

“We  _ both _ know that’s a lie,”

“Percy! Please? For me?” 

“Vex,” Percy said quietly. “I almost-” he stuttered over that word. “-got you killed once. I can't do that again.”

Vex reached over and cupped his cheek. “Percy, I know, but I- I want to do this for you. You’ll see why I asked. Please?”

Percy stared at her for a moment before putting his face in his hands. “Why are you so aggravating sometimes?”

“It's part of my charm,” Vex winked as he climbed onto the broom. It lurched under their weight and Percy had wrapped his arms around her waist faster than she could steady it.

“Percy?”

“Yes?” His voice was very high-pitched.

“You trust me?”

There was a long pause. “Always.”

And Vex took off, spiralling upwards into the pink clouds. 

She felt Percy press his face into her shoulder as they climbed higher and higher into the air. A chill wind roared past, hitting them like icy daggers and Vex was glad that Percy held on so tightly, feeling his warmth against her back.

They made it past the current and up to the clouds before Percy finally looked up; he let out a sound of awe as she coasted under a now dusky pink cloud.

“Do you think I could touch it?” Percy’s voice was breathless in her ear.

“Even better,” Vex flew through it and she felt Percy laugh.

“Percy, look down,” she said, going under the cloud.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes! Do it!”

Percy laid his cheek against her shoulder and she felt the gasp he let out. Whitestone was a dollhouse beneath them, lightly dusted with snow. The sun tree was no bigger than a coin, branches painted white.Lanterns shone throughout the town, light leaked out of windows, and Whitestone was the colour of molten gold in the sunset.

Vex flew gentle circles around the town as Percy stared.

“Flying gives me...a rush,” she professed. “I feel so much more alive, in ways I never really imagined. And everything looks so different from up here. I thought I might try to share that with you, that maybe you’d like to see it.”

“Vex’ahlia,” Percy said faintly, into her shoulder. “I love you.”

“Percy,” Vex felt a sad smile creep across her face. “I’m sorry.”

“What? Why?”

_ For making you watch me die. _

“For what I'm about to do,” Vex tilted the broom down, and they began to plummet back to earth. The wind roared in her ears, Percy hanging on for dear life as they raced back down to the roof. Vex landed as gently as she could and Percy practically fell off the broom, landing on his hands and knees.

“I can't believe you did that to me,” he wailed.

Vex drifted around him in a lazy circle. “But it was fun, right?”

“You’re crazy,” Percy said, but there was a note of affection in his voice.

“I’m pretty crazy, yeah,”

Percy stood up and blinked rapidly for a moment.

“Anyway,” Vex said. “It’s kind of late, isn't it? I guess we should both sleep-”

Percy took a decisive stride towards her, held her face in his hands, and kissed her square on the mouth. Vex almost fell off her broom, one hand on the handle, the other grasping at his ascot in an attempt to stay stable.

Percy pulled away very gently, brushed at her cheek like it was made of porcelain. She watched a blush spread across his cheeks, his ears, down his neck.

Vex felt like she’d forgotten to breathe, but managed a sly grin. “You’re adorable when you blush, you know,”

Percy ducked his head, flustered. “Um, I’m gonna- goodnight, Vex,” he turned and hurried inside.

The broom slowly floated to the ground, Vex still on it. It was a good thing she had the broom, she mused, she figured she wouldn't have been able to stand after that.


End file.
